System for keeping a dispensing apparatus for a zigzag folded web of towel material optimally filled

• US 7,472,802 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2005
• Issued: 01/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vendor BV (CWS International GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Vendor BV (CWS International GmbH)
• Inventors: van Riel, Elisabeth Joanna
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford; Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): COLLINS, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US11/048,631
• Publication Number:
  US 20050189850A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,435 Days
• Field of Search: 700231-244, 221 1-312 C, 312/34.4
• US Class Current: 221/6
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 10/34 dispensing from a web, e.g. with mechanical dispensing means
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 2010/3681 characterised by the way a new paper roll is loaded in the dispenser

Abstract

A system for optimally filling an apparatus for dispensing a zigzag folded web of towel material is provided. The system includes a holder that is disposed in a housing for receiving a first stock of zigzag folded web of towel material. The holder also includes a fill meter having a division into at least three areas each having its own coding. The first upper coding indicates that no refilling is required, a second coding below the first indicates that refilling with a refill stock that has a coding equal to the second coding, and each further coding indicates refilling with an increasingly thicker refill stock that has a corresponding coding.

Claims

1. A system for optimally filling an apparatus for dispensing a zigzag folded web of towel material, the system comprising:

a holder that is disposed in a housing, for receiving a first stock of zigzag folded web of towel material, which zigzag folded web of towel material, on one side thereof, runs from the holder to a space of use and, on another side thereof, has an end that is connectable with a first free end of a subsequent stock of zigzag folded web of towel material forming a refill stock,

wherein each zigzag folded web of towel material has a thickness with a thickness direction oriented from said one side to said another side, and

wherein the holder is provided with a fill meter having a division in a thickness direction of each stock of zigzag folded web of towel material, of at least three areas, each area having its own coding;

a first, upper coding in said thickness direction indicating that no refilling is required,

a second coding following the first, upper coding indicating refilling with a refill stock provided with a refill coding corresponding to the second coding, and

at least one further coding indicating refilling with an increasingly thicker refill stock having a refill coding corresponding to the at least one further coding.

2. A system according to claim 1, characterized in that the thickness of the stock of zigzag folded towel material in the holder is monitored by an element suitable for this purpose, which element is in controlling connection with an indicating element that makes the refilling need visible without needing to open the housing by indicating the respective coding.

3. A system according to claim 1, characterized in that the codings consist of mutually different colors.

4. A system according to claim 1, characterized in that three different codings are present.

5. A system according to claim 3, characterized in that the second coding is characterized by the color orange and the at least one further coding by the color red.

6. A system according to claim 5, characterized in that the first coding is a neutral color, such as white, transparent, the color of the holder or the color of the housing.

7. A system according to claim 2, characterized in that the element for monitoring the height of the stock of zigzag folded towel material in the holder is a feeler being in contact with the topside of that stock.

8. A system according to claim 7, characterized in that the feeler is mechanically connected with an indicating element which makes the first, second, and the at least one further codings visible via an inspection window in the housing.

9. A system according to claim 8, characterized in that the indicating element is a strip provided with the first, second, and the at least one further codings which is slid along an inspection window.

10. A system according to claim 8, characterized in that the indicating element is a pivot lever carrying different codings on different radii and pivots a particular coding via an inspection window provided for that coding, depending on the degree of filling.

20. A refill stock to be used in a system or a dispensing apparatus according to claim 1 and consisting of a web of zigzag folded towel material with, at both ends of the web, a free end which is couplable with a free end of a partly used stock or a further refill stock and is characterized by a refill coding which is a measure for the thickness and corresponds with one of the first, second, and the at least one further codings of said system or said dispensing apparatus.

21. A refill stock according to claim 20, characterized in that the refill coding is a color provided on or in the towel material, the coupling provisions at a free end, a packaging of the stock of towel material and/or a packaging around a number of stocks of towel material.

22. A refill stock according to claim 21, characterized in that the color is orange.

23. A refill stock according to claim 21, characterized in that the color is red.

24. A system according to claim 2, characterized in that:

three different codings are present;

the codings consist of mutually different colors and that the second coding is characterized by the color orange and the at least one further coding by the color red;

the first coding is a neutral color, such as white, transparent, the color of the holder or the color of the housing;

the element for monitoring the height of the stock of zigzag folded towel material in the holder is a feeler being in contact with the topside of that stock;

the feeler is mechanically connected with an indicating element which makes at lease one of the first, second, and the at least one further codings visible via an inspection window in the housing;

the indicating element is one of a strip provided with the first, second, and the at least one further codings which is slid along an inspection window and a pivot lever carrying different codings on different radii and pivots a particular coding via an inspection window provided for that particular coding, depending on the degree of filling.

25. A dispensing apparatus to be used in a system according to claim 24 and provided with a holder included in a housing for a stock of zigzag folded towel material, which holder is provided with a fill meter with, in thickness direction of the stock of zigzag folded web of towel material, a division into at least three areas each having its own coding, with a first upper coding in said thickness direction indicating that no refilling is required, a second coding following the first indicating refilling with a refill stock provided with a refill coding equal to the second coding and each further coding indicating refilling with an increasingly thicker refill stock with corresponding refill coding.

26. A dispensing apparatus according to claim 25, characterized in that:

the holder is provided with an element that monitors the thickness of the stock of zigzag folded towel material in the holder and is in connection with an indicating device for the degree of filling which can be read out from outside the housing;

the areas are marked by mutually different colors;

the second coding is formed by the color orange and the at least one further coding by the color red;

the first coding is formed by a neutral color, such as white, transparent, the color of the holder or the color of the housing;

the element for monitoring the thickness of the stock of zigzag folded towel material in the holder is a feeler being in contact with the topside of that stock;

the feeler is mechanically connected with an indicating element which makes at least one of the first, second, and the at least one further codings visible via an inspection window in the housing;

the indicating element is one of a strip provided with the first, second, and the at least one further codings which is slid along an inspection window and a pivot lever carrying different codings on different radii and pivots a particular coding via an inspection window provided for that particular coding, depending on the degree of filling.

27. A refill stock to be used in a system or a dispensing apparatus according to claim 24 and consisting of a web of zigzag folded towel material with, at both ends of the web, a free end which is couplable with a free end of a partly used stock or a further refill stock and is characterized by a refill coding which is a measure for the thickness and corresponds with one of the first, second, and the at least one further codings of said system or said dispensing apparatus.

28. A refill stock to be used in a system or a dispensing apparatus according to claim 25 and consisting of a web of zigzag folded towel material with, at both ends of the web, a free end which is couplable with a free end of a partly used stock or a further refill stock and is characterized by a refill coding which is a measure for the thickness and corresponds with one of the first, second, and the at least one further codings of said system or said dispensing apparatus.

29. A refill stock to be used in a system or a dispensing apparatus according to claim 26 and consisting of a web of zigzag folded towel material with, at both ends of the web, a free end which is couplable with a free end of a partly used stock or a further refill stock and is characterized by a refill coding which is a measure for the thickness and corresponds with one of the first, second, and the at least one further codings of said system or said dispensing apparatus.

30. A refill stock according to claim 22, characterized in that the refill coding is a color selected from the group consisting of orange and red provided on or in the towel material, the coupling provisions at a free end, a packaging of the stock of towel material and/or a packaging around a number of stocks of towel material.

31. A refill stock according to claim 28, characterized in that the refill coding is a color selected from the group consisting of orange and red provided on or in the towel material, the coupling provisions at a free end, a packaging of the stock of towel material and/or a packaging around a number of stocks of towel material.

32. A refill stock according to claim 29, characterized in that the refill coding is a color selected from the group consisting of orange and red provided on or in the towel material, the coupling provisions at a free end, a packaging of the stock of towel material and/or a packaging around a number of stocks of towel material.

11. An optimally-fillable system for dispensing towel material, the system comprising:

a zigzag folded web of towel material having a thickness and a thickness direction oriented from said one side to said another side, the zigzag folded web of towel material being arranged in coded refill stocks;

a holder disposed in a housing for holding a first stock of zigzag folded web towel material, the holder including a fill meter having a division, in the thickness direction of each stock of zigzag folded web of towel material, of at least three areas, each area having its own coding;

a first, upper coding in said thickness direction indicating that no refilling is required,

a second coding following the first, upper coding indicating refilling with a refill stock provided with a coded refill stock corresponding to the second coding, and

at least one further coding indicating refilling with an increasingly thicker refill stock having a corresponding refill coding of the at least one further coding.

12. A dispensing apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that the holder is provided with an element that monitors the thickness of the stock of zigzag folded towel material in the holder and is in connection with an indicating device for the degree of filling which can be read out from outside the housing.

13. A dispensing apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that the areas are marked by mutually different colors.

14. A dispensing apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that the second coding is formed by the color orange and the at least one further coding by the color red.

15. A dispensing apparatus according to claim 14, characterized in that the first coding is formed by a neutral color, such as white, transparent, the color of the holder or the color of the housing.

16. A dispensing apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that the element for monitoring the thickness of the stock of zigzag folded towel material in the holder is a feeler being in contact with the topside of that stock.

17. A dispensing apparatus according to claim 16, characterized in that the feeler is mechanically connected with an indicating element which makes the first, second, and the at least one further codings visible via an inspection window in the housing.

18. A dispensing apparatus according to claim 17, characterized in that the indicating element is a strip provided with the first, second, and the at least one further codings which is slid along an inspection window.

19. A dispensing apparatus according to claim 17, characterized in that the indicating element is a pivot lever carrying different codings on different radii and pivots a particular coding via an inspection window provided for that coding, depending on the degree of filling.

33. A system for optimally filling an apparatus for dispensing a zigzag folded web of towel material, the system comprising:

a holder that is disposed in a housing, for receiving a first stock of zigzag folded web of towel material, which zigzag folded web of towel material, on the one side thereof, runs from the holder to a space of use and, on another side thereof, has an end that is connectable with a first free end of a subsequent stock of zigzag folded web of towel material forming a refill stock,

wherein the zigzag folded web of towel material has a thickness and a thickness direction oriented from said one side to said another side, and

wherein the holder is provided with a fill meter having a division, in the thickness direction of each stock of zigzag folded web of towel material, of at least three areas, each area having its own coding;

a first, upper coding in said thickness direction configured to indicate that no refilling is required,

a second coding following the first, upper coding configured to indicate refilling with a refill stock provided with a refill coding corresponding to the second coding, and

at least one further coding configured to indicate refilling with an increasingly thicker refill stock provided with a refill coding corresponding to the respective at least one further coding.

34. A system for optimally filling an apparatus for dispensing a zigzag folded web of towel material, the system comprising:

a holder that is disposed in a housing, for receiving a first stock of zigzag folded web of towel material, which zigzag folded web of towel material, on the one side thereof, runs from the holder to a space of use and, on another side thereof, has an end that is connectable by means of a connecting element with a first free end of a subsequent stock of zigzag folded web of towel material forming a refill stock,

wherein the zigzag folded web of towel material has a thickness and a thickness direction oriented from said one side to said another side, and

wherein the holder is provided with a fill meter having a division, in the thickness direction of each stock of zigzag folded web of towel material, of at least three areas, each area having its own coding;

a first, upper coding in said thickness direction configured to indicate that no refilling is required,

a second coding following the first, upper coding configured to indicate refilling with a refill stock provided with a refill coding corresponding to the second coding, and

at least one further coding configured to indicate refilling with an increasingly thicker refill stock provided with a refill coding corresponding to the respective at least one further coding.